Hornets vs. Nets Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
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Andrew Rogers
The Charlotte Hornets have not only held their heads above water since losing their outstanding rookie point guard – they’ve thrived. Charlotte looks to improve to 5-1 without LaMelo Ball as it visits a Brooklyn Nets team that might be without its own impact player. The Nets saw guard James Harden go down with a hamstring injury in the third quarter of Thursday’s win over Houston, and he’s considered questionable on the tail end of a back-to-back.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
You might expect Brooklyn to be a bigger favourite here on the NBA odds, considering that Wednesday’s win moved them into top spot in the Eastern Conference. Harden’s injury, however, casts serious doubt on whether the Nets can handle a Charlotte team that has played some of its best basketball of the season over the past week-and-a-half. The Hornets are on a five-game cover streak, while the Nets have gone a dismal 1-5 against the spread in their previous six outings.
The total for Thursday’s showdown is set at 224, at least for the time being (expect that to change based on Harden’s status). Brooklyn’s breakneck early-season scoring pace and terrible defensive effort has abated somewhat, with the team going 5-1 to the Under in its past six games. Charlotte is enjoying a similar trend at the moment, coming in below the total in six of its previous seven games (with the last five coming in below 220 total points).
Charlotte Hornets
Give the Hornets full credit for putting together an impressive stretch of basketball and making a push for a top-four spot in the conference. But sometimes it helps to be lucky – and Charlotte has certainly benefited from a little good fortune. The Hornets pulled out a 114-104 win last time out over a Washington Wizards team missing the NBA’s leading scorer in Bradley Beal, and will catch a break again Thursday by avoiding Kevin Durant and possibly Harden.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets will be quite the force once they’re completely healthy – but nobody seems to know when that day will come. Durant (hamstring) remains out indefinitely, while Harden is a major question mark. So, too, is power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who was acquired just prior to the trade deadline from San Antonio but has yet to suit up for his new team. Brooklyn has fared well in recent meetings, having covered 12 of the past 18 encounters with the Hornets.
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